What Is Ichiban Kuji?

If you collect anime figures, chances are you have seen the words Ichiban Kuji on product listings, collector posts, or Japanese shop displays. The short version is simple: Ichiban Kuji is a guaranteed-win character lottery run by Bandai Spirits. Instead of buying a single product directly, you buy a draw and receive one prize from a themed lineup. Official Bandai Spirits materials describe Ichibankuji as a character lottery in which everybody wins, and they emphasize that the appeal comes from both the merchandise itself and the excitement of the draw. 

That difference matters. In a normal retail purchase, you pay for the exact figure you want. In Ichiban Kuji, you pay for a chance within a curated prize set tied to one license or theme, such as One Piece, Dragon Ball, or My Hero Academia. Bandai’s English-language pages, official product pages, and corporate materials all point to the same structure: a themed release, a price per draw, and an all-winners format. Official examples show that the price can vary by release; Bandai pages document draws at ¥680, ¥730, and ¥800 in different series. 

What does Ichiban Kuji mean?

Bandai’s English-language “Product Spotlight” explains that Ichiban Kuji means “number 1 lottery.” That wording is useful because it captures both the literal meaning and the collector context. “Kuji” refers to a lottery or drawing system, while “Ichiban” carries the sense of “number one” or “best.” In practice, collectors use the term to mean a Bandai Spirits lottery event built around one franchise, with exclusive goods spread across lettered prize tiers. 

How does the Ichiban Kuji system work?

The basic loop is straightforward. A shop offers a specific Ichiban Kuji release. You buy a draw. The ticket you receive corresponds to a prize tier, such as A Prize, B Prize, or a lower letter for smaller goods. Every ticket wins something. Official Bandai Spirits materials say this no-lose structure is central to the brand and is part of what makes the experience feel different from ordinary store buying. 

Bandai also highlights a few mechanics that collectors should know. The first is Last One Prize, a special reward given to the person who draws the final ticket in a store’s stock. The second is the Double Chance Campaign, which uses a campaign number printed on the ticket for an additional chance-based promotion. The third is that Ichibankuji is no longer limited to physical stores alone: Bandai Spirits officially operates Ichibankuji Online and designated Ichibankuji Official Shops in Japan. 

Why collectors care about Ichiban Kuji

The appeal is not only that the prizes can be exclusive. Bandai’s own story page says the attraction of Ichibankuji is the sense of limited availability and the experience that stretches from seeing the lineup, to drawing a lot, to sharing the outcome afterward. In other words, the lottery itself is part of the product. That helps explain why some collectors chase specific lotteries even when the figures later become harder to buy individually on the aftermarket. 

The scale of the brand also matters. Bandai Spirits says the cumulative number of lottery tickets issued reached approximately 940 million as of February 2026, which shows that Ichibankuji is not a minor subculture product. It is a major, long-running Bandai Spirits format with deep reach across fandoms and retail channels. 

What kinds of prizes are in Ichiban Kuji?

Many collectors discover Ichiban Kuji through figures, but the lineup is broader than that. Official Bandai explainer copy says prize assortments can include goods such as art boards, towels, straps, plush items, and figures. Figures tend to be the most sought-after rewards, especially upper-tier prizes, but a complete Ichiban Kuji release is usually designed like a full themed merchandise set rather than a single-figure drop. 

This is where collector vocabulary starts to branch out. You may see MASTERLISE on premium statue-style prizes, Last One Prize on bonus pieces tied to the final ticket, and franchise-specific sub-lines on official pages. In One Piece, for example, official Ichiban Kuji pages show MASTERLISE EXPIECE entries and repeatedly emphasize character presence, sculpting, and fine decorative detail. 

How is Ichiban Kuji different from prize figures, scale figures, and action figures?

The easiest way to understand Ichiban Kuji is to treat it as a release mechanism, not a single figure type. A Banpresto prize figure is generally an amusement-facility prize intended for crane games and related machines. A scale figure is a standard retail term that refers to a proportion-based product such as 1/7 or 1/8 scale. An articulated line such as S.H.Figuarts or figma is built around movement and posing. Ichiban Kuji, by contrast, is the lottery format that can include multiple product types in one themed release. 

That is why an Ichiban Kuji page should not only explain the lottery itself. It should also help newer collectors understand where Ichiban Kuji sits alongside prize figures, scale figures, Nendoroid, S.H.Figuarts, and figma. Good educational pages reduce confusion and make it easier for readers to decide what kind of collecting experience they want. 

A brief Ichiban Kuji timeline

The official Bandai Spirits history is especially useful here. It says Ichibankuji first launched in November 1996 in the form of Toru Toru Catcher Ichibankuji. Then, in June 2003, Bandai says sales of Ichibankuji in its current form began at convenience stores. Much later, in February 2021, Ichibankuji Online officially launched. Bandai Namco’s corporate history also says Ichibankuji celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2023, and Bandai Spirits designated January 9 as Ichibankuji Day in 2024. 

That history is worth including because it shows that Ichiban Kuji is not a short-lived merchandising gimmick. It is a durable format that has adapted from in-store lottery play to official online participation while keeping the same core idea: everyone wins something, and the lineup is built to make the whole event feel collectible. 

Related lines collectors should know

If you are browsing HobbyTiger, the most relevant related categories are Ichiban Kuji, MASTERLISE, Last One Prize, prize figures, scale figures, Nendoroid, S.H.Figuarts, and figma. MASTERLISE is the premium statue-style line closely tied to Ichiban Kuji and Ichibansho. Last One Prize is the final-ticket bonus. Prize figures are amusement prizes. Scale figures are proportion-based retail statues. Nendoroid, S.H.Figuarts, and figma are separate lines with very different display styles and collector expectations. 

Final takeaway

So, what is Ichiban Kuji? It is best understood as Bandai Spirits’ long-running, guaranteed-win character lottery, with themed prize lineups, exclusive merchandise, and collector mechanics such as Last One Prize and Double Chance Campaign. If you are buying from overseas, you are often buying individual prizes after the lottery rather than participating directly in the original Japan retail experience. Knowing that difference helps you understand why certain pieces feel more event-driven, more exclusive, and sometimes more emotionally charged than ordinary retail releases.